How the village got its lilacs

Before it was Lombard it was Babcock’s Grove. The lilacs came later, with Colonel Plum’s collection, and they stuck. Lilacia Park is the estate garden. Lilac Time is the festival that still brackets early May. In 2026 that was May 1 through May 17, parade included. Helen Plum Library, now at 411 South Main, is named for the colonel’s wife.

People here say Lilac Village because the park put the town on the map. In October that can feel like a coat in the closet. It is still the right name. The paths are open when the flowers are not.

Next May the Bloom-o-Meter comes back, and so does the crowd. Until then the useful map is simpler: park, library, Arch, path, and the house on Parkside.